News Flash: Haley Barbour Has Decided to Never Run for President

Prior to the 2012 election kicking off in interest, Haley Barbour was considered a serious candidate for President, a former RNC Chair whose popular stint as governor of Mississippi had him posed as the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. Then he decided to sit out 2012.

Like many, I have reservations about the American criminal justice system, and recognize that a human system has the possibility of getting the wrong answer and executive pardons are one tool for correcting possible injustice — but these pardons involved felons such as David Gatlin, who killed his wife in front of a witness who was also shot but survived the attack. Based on my quick research, there is no suggestion that Gatlin had any argument for his innocence or of being railroaded by the system.

Some of these pardons are inexcusable and Barbour has refused to comment on any of his decision.

There are a number of human tragedies here, including victims and families now living in fear with these criminals on the loose, but the political lesson here, for both Republicans and Democrats alike, is that Barbour’s acts should give all of us perspective on what is and is not an “outrage” when it comes to dangerous abuses of power.